Snakes and Ladders
by YellowMouse
Summary: Yes,it was only a matter of time before she was found out but that didn't stop her from taking it up a notch. Frankie has been involved with criminals ever since she was born but then the new neighbours move in and reality rears it's ugly head.
1. Chapter 1

**Yeah, I'm Robert Muchamoore but I've suddenly decided to give up writing books and write some fiction that I don't get paid for. Go figure.**

**This is my first CHERUB fan fiction so reviewers get cookies. Advice would be amazing. **

**:D Yellow Mouse:D xxx**

Chapter 1- Players

Peabody Estate looked like a slab of grey slate stuck on the horizon. It was lit only by one failing light that flickered in the faint darkness of the ever busy London. Yells of booze- fuelled laughter chorused down the street muffled by the traffic zooming past the window of 'The Blue Cat'. Francesca Orchard tapped a staccato beat on her plain white china mug. She was sat, waiting, at the window seat of the café watching the grey raindrops make their way down the glass, gleaming with the headlights of the cars passing in the evening rush hour.

She sighed loudly, lost in the worlds of other people, where the hell was he?

"Will there be anything else, miss?" Francesca snapped out of her daydream and turned to face a sour faced waitress, hand on hip and a pencil behind her ear. She looked tired and harassed, the fine blonde hairs bordering her hairline were dark with sweat and she was fumbling around for her notebook. A much as Francesca hated the superior look plastered on the waitress' face, it was late and the greasy spoon was five minutes away from closing.

After a quick glance at her phone that lay on the table for any texts that she might have missed the first thirty six times she had looked Francesca slipped on her pumps and wrapped her coat around herself.

"No, I'm going now" Francesca pushed on the silver handle of the door, hearing the chime of the bell above her head. A boy had asked to meet up but had obviously bailed, Francesca wasn't expecting much but rejection seriously bugged her.

She debated whether to phone her mum or not, wrath of a middle aged cow or a cold. Francesca sighed once more. Opening up her phone she scrolled down her contact list and pressed the smooth indent on the centre button.

"Francesca_?_" A breathy voice answered.

"Bonjourno" Francesca replied caustiously.

"Where in God's name have you been?" Her mum growled.

"Pub"

"Really"

"Yep" Francesca could feel the anger in the silence that followed.

"... Mum?"

"Yes Francesca?"

"Could I have a lift please?" Francesca simpered. "...I know the number for Childline" she said as an after thought.

"Where are you?" a very tired sounding voice muttered back.

"The biggest brothel in town" Silence. Francesca gave up as she noticed her mascarra was running down her face and that she was shivering jerkily. "I'm at the fine restraunt, Le Chat Bleu" she muttered meekly.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes" the dial tone started ring as Francesca's loving parent hung up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you my reviwers, you are amazing! :D**

Chapter 2- Getting the Dice Rolling

"Francesca!" bellowed Francesa's mum from downstairs. How in gods name can a voice be so loud from three floors up? Francesca thought as she rolled out of bed and onto the floor. She stared up at slightly pitted white ceilling as she cotemplated the events of last night. Suspened pocket money, informally dumped, grounded, cold and homework. Yep, it was mornings like this that Francesca wanted to fuck life and go somewhere to die in peace.

"Fran- chess- ca!" the human fog horn screamed once again. Francesca got to her feet and stumbled towards her door for her dressing gown. She glanced at her clock on the wall, ten forty five on the dot. When she got downstairs to the kitchen her mum was typing feverently on her laptop as she glanced over the top of the screen to see if Jessie, Francesca's little sister, was killing anything yet.

"Whaaaaaat?" Francesca moaned. Francesa's mum looked up with a disgusted look on her face.

"Are you still not dressed? Get ready at once, I'm going now"

"Again I say whaaaaaat?"

"Sometimes I think I talk to myself!"

"Well-"

"Shut it" her bob bounced as she snapped at Francesca. "The cops are giving me hassle so I don't need any of you cheek! I'm dropping Jessie off at nursery then going to the warehouses and I need you to wait here for a package that you will not open at any costs. Got it?" I nodded reluctantly while I yawned and stumbled back up stairs for a shower.

The Cucaracha played persistently on the doorbell as Francesca tore through the living room towards the door as her hair dryer moaned and buzzed on the sofa where it lay. Francesca remembered all to well the last time she hadn't answered the doorbell when a delivery was due and her mum was out. Could she remember what she was supposed to say? No. Would it matter? Yes. Francesca gulped anxiously as she pressed down on the silver handle. As the door creaked open she was already devising an excuse that could possibly save her neck.

"Hi..." Francesca's eyes widened in confusion and relief as a girl about her own age was standing in the door way. She had long blonde hair and a sporty physique, Francesca mentally rebuilt hair face in order not to appear weak in front of the girl that had an air of confidence.

"Sorry to disturb you but my dad sent me round to see if I could borrow some stuff. We've just moved in and he's kind of rubbish at the whole fatherly figure thing. The names Lauren by the way" she said smoothly as she stood calmly in the doorway. Francesca caught a glimpse of herself in the window of the open door and suddenly realised she didn't just feel stupid.

"That's fine, sorry I look like a goldfish I was just... yeah." Francesca blushed and shuffled backwards into the safety of her own home. Nobody had ever seen her without her make up since she was ten and even then she was self conscious.

"No worries, my brother and dad always look like goldfish when anything in a skirt walks past" Francesca smiled slightly as Lauren stepped forward. It was always nice to find someone that didn't know her yet.

"My little sister looks like a goldfish full stop" Francesca snorted as she lead Lauren through a big maroon door and into a big black and white kitchen. "So what does your dad want?" Lauren looked a bit startled for a second.

"Sorry. I have the memory of a goldfish sometimes" she glanced around our kitchen until her eyes settled on a leaking bag of Tate and Lyle sugar next to a supermarket's own brand cornflakes. "Some sugar and some milk"Francesca raised a sceptical eyebrow and Lauren looked flustered.

"It just jogged my memory. It's far to early for a Saturday morning!" she smiled rolling her eyes. Francesca let it slip and reached for one of the cabinets lining the walls to find some Tupperware and grabbed a carton of milk from the sleek black fridge. As Francesca was handing the stuff over the doorbell chimed again. Francesca dropped the box of sugar and slid on the tiled floor as she sprinted to the door. She opened it to find a small package with a post it stamp cello taped to the top with a hurried sentence written in scrawled hand writing. Francesca cocked her head to one side and read the note:

_Soz had 2 dash Kim. Hope 2 c u soon ;)Darren x_

Francesca shivered slightly, how could mum go so low?

"Who's Darren?" Francesca spun round to see Lauren standing slightly behind her and peering at the note. She saw the look of surprise written across Francesca's face and raised her hands up apologetically. "Sorry, I thought you knew that I was here.

"It's okay. Darren's no one, just a glorified postman with an ego the size of Mars" Francesca muttered bitterly then quickly shut up with a brisk wave of her hand. She settled the box on the dinning room table and stared at it like she wanted to smash it.

"What is it? Birthday present?"

"Kind of" Francesca smiled ruefully. "Just some of my Mums documents from work"

"Oh, ok. I better get going. Do you go to Hardwick Comprehensive?"

"Yeah. Why?" Francesca said quietly. She knew what was coming and didn't want to say yes.

"It's just that I'm not sure of my way there so I was wondering if we could walk together or something" she said shyly.

"Sure, why not?" Francesca said bitterly as she walked Lauren back to the front door.

"Bye Francesca!" she called behind her shoulder towards the open door. Francesca started to turn away then suddenly stopped with a startled jerking movement.

"Hey! Wait!" she shouted after Lauren with a ferocious and scared gleam in her eye. "How the hell do you know my name?" Lauren blushed and looked at her feet.

"Don't take offence, but your mum isn't the quietest person in the world..." Francesca swept a calculating glance over Lauren's face then smiled faintly.

"You got that right. Sorry, paranoia..." she turned towards the door and started to close it behind her so not to turn the house into a freezer. "My friends call me Frankie!"

**Another short chappie but just wait till I get the ball rolling.**


End file.
